The woman Mediaweek says "could very well be the next generation's Anna Quindlen" steps out from behind her celebrated New York Times column in a book about the intersection -- or more accurately collision -- of life and work. A few years ago, award-winning reporter Lisa Belkin left the office to work from home, amid the chaos of two young children, writing deadlines, and everyday domestic details. She began writing a very personal column for and about people trying to "balance" their lives, but hundreds of columns later, she noticed that she had not heard from a single person who had everything under control. Then she realized: Nobody can do it because it simply can't be done. Life's Work is the story of modern motherhood, where true happiness is often reached when you finally give up and give in. Belkin's is the funny, poignant, and always dead-on story of trying to do it all...and learning that doing just some of it is enough.

Amazon.com Review

Working moms are going to love Life's Work. A collection of columns from The New York Times, this entertaining and thoughtful compilation suggests that the next time you are overwhelmed with laptop, cell phone, deadlines, appointments, pets, and kids, you try something new: shrugging. As author Lisa Belkin says in the introduction, "I am not saying that none of these things matter. They all matter, but not all of the time."

Her columns make great reading for waiting rooms or bus commutes, as each one is just a few pages long. Divided by topic rather than chronological age, you'll start off with a look at balancing work and marriage, progress to pregnancy and babies, and end with sections on travel, organization, and a reexamination of shifting priorities. Topics are sometimes funny, such as Belkin's ramblings on her professional name (Belkin) and family name (Gelb), and the confusion this causes when her son's school called and asked for a name not in the company's list. But singing "the Barney song" from an airport pay phone and having the women around her weep--stories like this ring so familiar with working moms that it's hard to not get a little teary yourself.

From paternity leave to expectations of babysitters, commuting time to sharing a home computer with an 11-year-old, Belkin manages to address all the daily trivia that take on such importance, as well as the really important stuff that often gets lost in the shuffle. --Jill Lightner